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My NAME Is JOHN 


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The beast began to run, and dragged the 
cas\ after him 


















M.y Name Is 

JOHN 


A Boo\ for Boys named John 


By 

MARGARET FRY 


Drawings by 
Lenard Holmes 


THOMAS S. ROCKWELL COMPANY 
CHICAGO 


1930 














PZy 

.FlZ3 

rt i 


Copyright, 1930, by 

THOMAS S. ROCKWELL COMPANY 

Chicago 


Printed in the United States of America 


©Cl A 


JAN 28.193! 

c 1 c * 

33386 


CONTENTS 


*0 

l 


For John 7 

The Many Names of John 8 

Johnny 9 

Sleepy John 10 

Johnny Appleseed 19 

Johnny Jump-Up 22 

Johnny-Cake 23 

Johan and the Water Nymphs 28 

Jerry and James and John 37 

John the Baptist 38 

My Son John 39 

Little John 40 

Ride Away 44 

Hans in Luck 45 

Sing! Song! 52 

Famous Johns in America 53 

John Paul Jones 59 

Johnny 63 






* 


















FOR JOHN 

T HIS book is written for all the little boys 
in the world who are named John. Gath¬ 
ered here are all sorts of merry poems and 
songs and tales of other Johns in the real and 
make-believe world. There are stories about 
little boys in far-away countries who are called 
John in their own language—the French Jean 
sings a marching tune for you, German Hans 
goes his luckless way, and Swedish Johan learns 
it is always better to be gay than cross. You will 
hear about good things that have been named 
after you—the yellow corn bread that cook calls 
Johnny-cake and the funny little flower that 
is named Johnny-Jump-Up. And because you 
are still a small John and haven’t had a chance 
yet to grow up and do great things, there are 
some stories of famous men who were named 
John too. Perhaps when you are old enough 
to be a hero, someone will add your brave deeds 
to those of the other Johns that are in this book. 


THE MANY NAMES OF JOHN 



H UNDREDS of years ago in the land of 
the Hebrews, the name John was first 
heard. It meant “Grace of the Lord” in the 
Hebrew tongue, and that is the meaning it has 
kept ever since. Nearly every country has a 
namesake of the original John. The English 
tongue includes as well as plain John,— 
Jonathon, Jack, Johnny and Jenkin. The 
Scotch has a John, a Johnnie and its famous 
Jock. The Welsh call their lads, Jan or Jenkin, 
and those Irishmen who speak the ancient 
Gaelic tongue have named their children Ian. 
In Germany there is a Johanne and a Hans to 
keep up the name John. Jan is Dutch. Johan 
is Danish and Swedish. Hansel is Bavarian. 
Janos is Hungarian, while Jonas is Lithuanian. 
In Russia, John is called Ivan, and perhaps 
strangest of all is the Italian John who has the 




THE MANY NAMES OF JOHN 


9 


long title of Giovanni. In France there is Jean 
and in Spain, Juan. 

Many girls’ names have grown out of the 
name John. In English, we have Joan, Jane, 
Johanna, Joanna, Jenny and Janet. In Scotch 
there are Jean and Jessie. In Spanish, Juanita, 
and in other lands there are many more names 
that are closely related to the foreign Johns. 


JOHNNY 

Johnny's too little to whittle, 

Give him some raspberry jam, 

Ta\e off his bib, put him into his crib, 
And feed him on doughnuts and ham. 


SLEEPY JOHN 
A Czech Folk Tale 



|NCE there was a lad named John and 


wherever he went he used to fall asleep 
no matter what time it was. One day he came 
to an inn where some farmers were feeding 
their horses. The cart was empty and John 
thought at once that it would make a fine bed. 
So he crept into it and lay down on the straw 
where he soon fell fast asleep. After the farmers 
had driven some distance, they noticed John 
asleep in the cart. 

“What in the world shall we do with him?” 
they said. 

“Well—there is the beer cask we are carry¬ 
ing,” suggested one of them, “why not put him 
in it and leave him in the forest.” 

And this they did, shutting John in the cask 
as if he belonged there and then drove off. 


10 


SLEEPY JOHN 


ii 


John went on sleeping in the cask for a long 
time. Suddenly he woke up and found to his 
astonishment that he was cramped into very 
close quarters. 

“What bed have I chosen now?” he thought 
wonderingly. 

Soon he discovered that he was inside a cask 
but he had no idea how he had got into it and 
neither did he know where he was. While he 
was thinking this over he heard a low pad of 
footsteps running about the cask and peering 
through a small hole in the side he saw a great 
number of wolves gathered around him. 

One of the wolves, bolder than the others, 
pushed his tail through the hole and Sleepy 
John began to think that the hour of his death 
was surely approaching. Sleepy John decided 
that he would not die without trying to save 
himself. So he took the wolfs tail and wound 
it around his hand. This frightened the wolf 
so that the beast began to run and as he ran he 
dragged the cask after him. The strange way 
in which the cask was acting frightened the 
whole pack who set off in all directions. Faster 

John thought the cart would 
make a fine bed 





12 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


and faster ran the wolf dragging the cask. At 
last John heard a loud crash and the sound of 
splintering. He knew that the cask must have 
hit a rock and that it was breaking apart. So he 
let go of the wolf who kept on running as fast 
as ever until it was out of sight. 

John looked around him. He found himself 
in a wild mountain region. He began walking 
about the rough mountainsides and there he 
met a hermit. The hermit said to him. “You 
may stay here with me. In three days I shall 
die. Bury me then, and I will pay you well 
for it.” 

So John stayed with him and when the third' 
day came the hermit who knew that he was 
going to die, gave him a stick saying: “In what¬ 
ever direction you point this stick you will find 
yourself.” Then he gave him a knapsack, say¬ 
ing: “Anything you want you will find in this 
knapsack.” Then he gave him a cap, saying: 
“As soon as you put this cap on, nobody will be 
able to see you.” 

Then the hermit died and John buried him. 

John gathered his three gifts together and 


SLEEPY JOHN 


i3 


started forth. First he lifted the stick and said: 
“Let me be instantly in the town where the 
king lives.” At once he found himself on the 
cobbled streets of the palace city. He saw many 
people flocking about the gateway of the court 
and he crowded nearer to hear what was being 
said. And this is what the people were telling 
one another—that the queen suffered a strange 
illness. Every night she secretly left the palace, 
taking with her a dozen pair of shoes. During 
the night she wore out the dozen pair of shoes 
yet nobody was able to find out where she went, 
though the cleverest knights had tried to follow 
her track. The king had offered a great reward 
to anyone who could tell him where the queen 
went. This was why the people crowded to the 
castle gate—lords and knights and peddlers and 
peasants. They all were on their way to the 
king to offer their services to spy upon the 
queen. So Sleepy John went too. After awhile 
the line that he was following got shorter and 
shorter and suddenly he found himself before 
the king. 

“What is it?” the king asked crossly, for he 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


M 

was tired of all this nonsense from the queen. 

“I have come to offer to trace the queen,” 
answered John. 

“Who are you?” asked the king. 

“I am Sleepy John.” 

“And how are you going to trace the queen 
if you sleep all the time?” said the king. “If 
you fail to trace her you will lose your head.” 

John answered that he would try to trace her 
all the same. 

That night the queen went to bed in one 
room and John went to bed in the corridor out¬ 
side her door. He did not go to sleep but when 
he heard the queen’s door open he pretended 
so be in deep slumber. The queen heard the 
sound of his breathing and lit a candle. Seeing 
this servant sleeping outside her door angered 
her. She bent down and scorched the soles of 
his feet to make sure that he was asleep and not 
able to follow her. John did not stir though 
the fire burned painfully. The queen saw that 
he still breathed deeply and so taking her twelve 
pair of shoes in her hand, she tiptoed down the 
corridor. 


SLEEPY JOHN 


15 


John got up and put his cap on. Then he 
pointed his stick and said: “Let me be where 
the queen is.” 

Now, when the queen came to a certain rock, 
the earth opened before her and two dragons 
came to meet her. They took her on their backs 
and carried her as far as the great Lead Forest. 
Then John who could not keep up with the 
flight of the dragons, pointed his stick and said: 
“Let me be where the queen is,” and instantly he 
was in the Lead Forest too. He broke off a twig 
to prove to the king that he had been there and 
put it in his knapsack for safe keeping. But 
when he broke off the twig it made a shrill 
sound as if a bell were ringing. The queen 
heard the ringing and was frightened. She 
hurried on. Then John pointed his stick and 
said: “Let me be where the queen is.” And in¬ 
stantly he found himself close behind her in the 
depths of the Tin Forest. He broke off a tin 
twig and put it in his knapsack and again there 
was a ringing sound that frightened the queen. 
She turned pale and hurried away. John 
pointed his stick and said: “Let me be where the 

The dragon carried the queen to « 

the Lead Forest 

Cl 


16 MY NAME IS JOHN 

queen is,” and instantly found himself at her 
side in the midst of the Silver Forest. So he 
took a silver twig. At the sound of the ring 
the twig made, the queen fainted. The dragons 
hastened on, carrying her on their backs. John 
followed and they came to a green meadow. 

Here in the green meadow a crowd of 
gnomes came to meet them and they revived 
the queen. There was a great feast. Sleepy 
John wondered how to disguise himself and 
suddenly he saw the cook’s cap lying on the 
grass. He put it on and no one knew who he 
was so that he was able to eat at the feast with 
the others. When the banquet was over, the 
gnomes began to dance with the queen. They 
danced and they danced and they kept on danc¬ 
ing until she had worn out all twelve pair of 
shoes. When the last pair was worn out, the 
dragons took her on their backs again and 
returned to the place where the earth opened 
before her. John said: “Let me be where 
the queen is.” By this time she was walk¬ 
ing toward the gateway of her own palace. 
Then John wished himself outside of her door 


SLEEPY JOHN 


*7 


and when the queen reached the corridor she 
saw the servant sleeping there just as she had 
left him. 

In the morning, the lords and the people 
of the village gathered together before the king 
and the king asked whether any one present 
had tracked the queen. There was a great 
silence until Sleepy John broke it by saying: 

“Gracious Lord King, I have tracked the 
queen. I know what she did to wear out the 
twelve pair of shoes.” 

“What did she do?” cried the king. 

“She danced upon the green meadow with a 
whole company of little men,” said Sleepy 
John. 

“The gnomes!” cried the courtiers, “the 
queen is bewitched!” 

“How do you know?” said the king. 

Then John took from his knapsack the 
leaden twig and said: “The queen was carried 
by two dragons to the Lead Forest and there 
I broke off this twig.” 

The king said: “But you might have made 
the twig yourself.” 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


So John produced the tin twig from his 
knapsack and said: “The queen left the Lead 
Forest and drove to a Tin Forest Forest and 
there I broke off this twig.” 

The queen grew pale as she heard the words 
of Sleepy John, but the king said again: “You 
might have made even this twig.” 

So John produced the silver twig and said: 
“Afterwards the queen drove through the Silver 
Forest and when I broke off this twig she 
fainted and then it was that the dragons car¬ 
ried her to the green meadow where she danced 
with the gnomes.” 

“He is too poor to have any silver to make 
a silver twig,” cried the courtiers. 

The queen, seeing that all was known, cried 
out: “Let the earth swallow me!” and she was 
swallowed by the earth. 

Sleepy John got half of the kingdom in re¬ 
ward ; and later when the king died, the other 
half became his, too. 




JOHNNY APPLESEED 


I N THE DAYS when our country was still 
a wilderness, and the brave pioneers who 
came westward lived on farms a long way from 
each other, an old man wandered from house 
to house bringing strange gifts in his bags. 

This was Johnny Appleseed who was a real 
man with a real name, John Chapman. But 
no one ever called him Mr. Chapman as long 
as he lived. He was always Johnny Appleseed. 
And this is the reason why. 

When he had decided to come out west, he 
had taken two deer-skin bags and filled them 
full of apple seeds. The dream he held dearest 
was to make the people who lived along the 
Ohio river happy by planting apple trees for 
them. Johnny Appleseed knew the joy that a 
round shining red apple can bring and as he 
thought of the pioneers sitting about their 


19 



Even the Indians let Johnny Appleseed go his way 
unharmed, planting seeds as he went 


20 






































JOHNNY APPLESEED 


21 


lonely firesides at night, fearful of what the 
long and dreary winters might bring, he knew 
that an apple to munch would be a great com¬ 
fort to them. 

Every year, Johnny Appleseed went back 
home to the east to gather more of the precious 
seeds. Then he lifted his load on his back and 
tramped back to Ohio. He was just as much 
a builder in his way as the sturdy pioneers were, 
and he built something that was ever so much 
more lasting. He went his way, bare-footed, 
hatless, in the heat and the snow. He feared 
nothing and the story goes that a mother bear 
would let him play with her cubs without 
harming him. Even the hostile Indians let the 
strange old man go his way untouched. 

The finest memorial that Johnny Appleseed 
could ever wish for himself are the old gnarled 
orchards in the middle west, that grew up 
many years ago from the little brown apple 
seeds that the kindly old man planted. 


JOHNNY-JUMP-UP 


J ohnny-jump-up from your bed. 

All the little stars are dead — 
Stars of frost that sharply shone 
On your roof of stic\ and stone . 

Johnny, do not hug your feet . 
April folded up your sheet, 
Threw away your snowy pillow, 
Called for you the pussy willow . 


Johnny-jump-up from your bed . 
Months ago your prayers you said. 

You have slept a solid year; 
Rub your blue eye, lift your head — 
All the other Johns are here! 



Rowena Bastin Bennett 


The Johnny Jump- 
Up is a violet that 
loo^s li\e a little 
pansy 


JOHNNY-CAKE 


O NCE upon a time there was an old man 
and an old woman and a little boy. One 
morning the little boy said: “Mother make a 
Johnny-cake—ple-e-ase,” and the old man said 
after him: “Mother make a Johnny-cake— 
ple-e-ase.” So the old woman made a Johnny- 
cake. After she had measured and stirred it 
and put it in the oven to bake, she said to the 
little boy: “You watch the Johnny-cake while 
your father and I go out to work in the garden.” 
So the little boy was left to tend the oven while 
the old man and the old woman went out in 
the garden to hoe. At first the little boy 
watched very well and he saw the Johnny-cake 
begin to turn a golden brown. There was a de¬ 
licious smell in the whole cottage. But after 
awhile he forgot the Johnny-cake and looked 
the other way. Then he heard a loud noise. 


23 


2 4 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


He looked up and saw the oven door open and 
out jumped the Johnny-cake. Faster and 
faster the Johnny-cake ran, his legs twinkling, 
out of the door of the house. The little boy 
ran after him. Down the steps, down the 
path and out into the road ran the Johnny-cake 
with the little boy chasing after. “Mother!” 
he cried. “Father!” he cried, “come quickly 
and chase the Johnny-cake.” The old man and 
the old woman saw what had happened and 
they threw down their hoes and gave chase 
too. But soon the old woman fell behind and 
then the little boy fell behind and at last the 
old man sat down in a heap all breathless. And 
the Johnny-cake quickly ran out of sight. 

On and on went Johnny-cake and soon, very 
soon, he came to two well-diggers. They 
leaned on their picks and wiped their brows 
and said: “Where are you going in such a 
hurry, Johnny-cake?” 

Johnny-cake chuckled: “I’ve outrun an old 
man and an old woman and a little boy and I 
can run away from you as well!” 

“You can, can you—that we shall see,” they 



Out jumped the 
Johnny-ca\e 

















JOHNNY-CAKE 


25 


said, and they dropped their picks and ran 
after him but hard as they ran they couldn’t 
catch up to him and soon they fell far behind. 

On and on went Johnny-cake and soon, very 
soon, he came to two ditch-diggers. They 
leaned on their spades and wiped their brows 
and said: “Where are you going in such a 
hurry, Johnny-cake?” 

Johnny-cake chuckled: “I’ve outrun an old 
man and an old woman and a little boy and two 
well-diggers and I can easily run away from 
you as well!” 

“You can, can you—that we shall see,” they 
said, and they dropped their spades and ran 
after him but hard as they ran they couldn’t 
catch up and soon they fell far behind. 

On and on went Johnny-cake and soon, very 
soon, he came to a bear. The bear said, “Where 
are you going in such a hurry, Johnny-cake?” 

Johnny-cake chuckled: “I’ve outrun an old 
man and an old woman and a little boy and 
two well-diggers and two ditch-diggers, and I 
can run away from you as well! ” 

“You can, can you—that we shall see,” 


The bear trotted 
after Johnny- 
ca\e 




26 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


growled the bear and trotted after Johnny-cake 
as hard as he could but he couldn’t catch up and 
soon fell behind. 

On and on went Johnny-cake and soon, very 
soon he came to a wolf. The wolf said, “Where 
are you going in such a hurry, Johnny-cake?” 

Johnny-cake chuckled: “I’ve outrun an old 
man and an old woman and a little boy and 
two well-diggers and two ditch-diggers and a 
bear, and I can run away from you as well!” 

“You can, can you—that we shall see,” 
snapped the wolf and ran after Johnny-cake as 
fast as he could but Johnny-cake ran very fast 
and the wolf soon fell behind. 

On and on went Johnny-cake, and soon, very 
soon, he came to a fox half asleep by the side 
of the road. The fox lifted his head and called 
very drowsily: “Where are you going in such 
a hurry, Johnny-cake?” 

Johnny-cake chuckled: “I’ve outrun an old 
man and an old woman and a little boy and two 
well-diggers and two ditch-diggers and a bear 
and a wolf, and I can run away from you.” 

The fox opened his sleepy eyes and said: “I 



He came to a fox 
half asleep 



JOHNNY-CAKE 


27 


can’t hear you, Johnny-cake. Come a little 
closer and speak a little plainer and then I shall 
know what you are talking about.” 

Johnny-cake stopped running. He went 
closer to the fox and called loudly: “I’ve Out¬ 
run An Old Man And An Old Woman And 
A Little Boy And Two Well-Diggers And 
Two Ditch-Diggers And A Bear And A Wolf, 
And I Can Run Away From You As Well!” 

“What is that you are saying,” said the fox 
crossly. “If you would only come closer and 
speak a little plainer I should know what you 
are talking about.” 

Johnny-cake came very close and said very 
loudly indeed: “I’VE OUTRUN AN OLD 
MAN AND AN OLD WOMAN AND 
A LITTLE BOY AND TWO WELL- 
DIGGERS AND TWO DITCH-DIGGERS 
AND A BEAR AND A WOLF, AND I 
CAN EASILY RUN AWAY FROM YOU 
AS WELL.” 

“You can, can you—that we shall see,” the 
Fox opened his mouth and snapped up the 
Johnny-cake who never chuckled again. 




Johnny<a\e never 
chuckled again 



JOHAN AND THE WATER NYMPHS 

The Story of a Swedish John 


HE miller’s son, Johan, was a cheerful 



-i- lad. He sang all day long as he worked 
in his father’s mill. It was a fine mill and 
people from all over the countryside brought 
their grain to be ground there. 

When Johan grew up, his father gave him 
the mill for his own. But now Johan forgot 
to sing, and he slept late in the morning and 
let his men work hard instead of working hard 
himself. Soon people gave up coming there 
with bags of grain for they thought that a mill 
could not be very good if the miller was never 
to be seen. 

With no meal to grind, Johan had to let his 
men go. The mill was very silent and lonely. 

Retold from “The Mill and the Water-Nymphs,” in Old 
Swedish Fairy Tales by Anna Wahlenberg, translated by 
Antoinette D. Patterson, by permission of Penn Pub. Co. 


28 



JOHAN AND THE WATER NYMPHS 


2 9 


And then came the greatest trouble of all— 
the mill stream began to dry up. If the river 
disappeared the mill would never be able to 
grind again. 

One evening poor Johan sat in a corner of 
the empty mill wondering what to do with a 
stream that was drying up more and more 
every day. He began to think he would have 
to give up his mill and go to work for another 
master. But the thought of leaving his home 
made him sigh deeply. He knew now that he 
loved the mill very much. 

Suddenly Johan heard a sigh as big as his 
own in the opposite corner. He looked up in 
surprise but could see nothing but an empty 
meal sack lying there. It must have been an 
echo he had heard, he decided. In a moment 
he sighed again. Once more an answering 
sigh came from the opposite corner. This time 
Johan ran over to see what it was. And there 
in a corner he saw an old grey rat, very thin 
and bony with bright black eyes. 

“Was it you who sighed?” asked Johan. 

“Yes, who else could it be?” said the rat. 


3 ° 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


“Why are you sighing?” Johan asked. 

“For a very good reason,” said the rat, “when 
the mill was working, there used to be plenty 
of spilled meal in this place for us to eat. I lived 
very well with my wife and children and 
grandchildren and great-grandchildren and 
great-great-grandchildren. But now that there 
is no meal, the young ones have all left, my 
poor wife is dead, and I sit here nibbling the 
few grains that you drop and starve to death.” 

“Yes, and soon the stream will be dried up 
and that will be the end of both of us,” said 
Johan sadly. 

“It is the water-nymphs' fault,” the rat 
nodded wisely. 

“The water-nymphs?” Johan cried in great 
astonishment. 

“Yes—haven't you ever seen them riding in 
their chariots of mist? The poor queen of the 
waters has told me that they have all forsaken 
her. The water always follows the path of 
the nymphs. That is why the stream is drying 
up beside your mill.” 

“Well, I certainly have looked at the mill 


JOHAN AND THE WATER NYMPHS 31 

stream all my life and never seen a water- 
nymph yet,” said Johan. 

“Amazing,” said the rat, “but then you 
mortals have such poor sight. Now if only you 
could see I would tell you of a beautiful sight. 
1 heard from a field-mouse who ran past a 
little while ago that the water-queen has sent 
for all the nymphs. This very evening she is 
holding a council to find out why they have 
left your stream.” 

“Oh, if I could only go and listen and see I 
would learn what is wrong with the mill- 
waters,” said Johan. 

“I might lend you my spectacles,” said the 
rat, “for a long time I have used a kind that 
are easy to get and very satisfactory.” 

Johan watched the rat and saw him run 
around the mill looking for something. Soon 
he went up to a broom and took a birch leaf 
that clung to it. He bit two holes in the leaf 
with his sharp little teeth and then gave the 
funny spectacles to Johan. 

“I think if you will look out of the mill door 
you may see the water-nymphs arriving. It is 


32 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


nearly time for the council with the water- 
queen,” the rat said. 

Johan did as he was told. He looked down 
at the stream and he saw something that he 
had never seen before during all the years he 
had lived at the mill. Swimming about in the 
water were the loveliest young creatures with 
silvery dresses of spray. They splashed and 
played and whirled about. Soon they formed 
a circle and Johan saw a beautiful maiden rise 
on the crest of a wave. This must be the queen. 
She was loveliest of all, but her face was very 
sad. She spread out her slim arms and greeted 
the water-nymphs. 

“My children,” she said, “I have called you 
hither to ask you why you have gone away 
from this lovely stream. Is it not as pleasant 
as it was before? Does it not still flow through 
blooming meadows and shadowy groves? 
Don’t you think it is as silver and as beautiful 
as ever?” 

The water-nymphs looked at one another 
shyly. Finally one of them came forward and 
said to the queen: 



33 




























34 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


“Oh yes, most gracious queen. It is surely 
as beautiful as ever, but it is so dreadfully tire¬ 
some. We used to be able to dance all day 
long. The miller’s son whistled and sang and 
all the men followed his example. But now 
it is all over. The men have gone away and 
Johan is never gay. It is not much fun to stay 
where there is no music for our dance.” 

“The queen looked very sad. Johan, who 
watched, was very uncomfortable. 

“Some of us have gone to a stream where 
the women beat their clothes on the washing- 
stones and sing as they work. It is lovely music 
for dancing.” 

“We have gone to a river where the lumber¬ 
jacks send down the logs. How loudly they 
sing! It is great sport,” cried another nymph. 

“Why should we stay here with cross, surly 
Johan?” they all pouted. 

“I know how you feel,” said the water-queen 
sadly, “But you must not go away and leave 
poor Johan entirely alone. The mill could 
never grind again. Stay and dance and you 
will see Johan glad and gay once more.” 


JOHAN AND THE WATER NYMPHS 35 


At this all the small water-nymphs laughed. 
There wasn’t one of them who believed Johan 
could ever be gay and singing again. They 
turned and begged the water-queen to come 
with them as they started their dance away 
from the mill. 

“No,” said the water-queen, “I cannot for¬ 
sake poor Johan and the beautiful woods and 
meadows that have been our home.” 

Johan was grateful. He and the queen 
would never desert the mill no matter what 
happened, he vowed. He saw the mist-chariots 
harnessed to the midge-flies vanish from sight. 
The good queen waved her hands in farewell 
and Johan turned away so that he would not 
see the sad look return to her gentle face. 

That night Johan did not sleep well. He 
thought of the poor queen that had been 
deserted. It was his fault—all of it. How 
stupid he had been to stop singing. 

In the morning he took the last sack of grain 
and began to grind it. Suddenly he thought 
that it might cheer the lonely queen if he sang 
something to her. 


36 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


“If she is only around now, and can hear 
me,” he thought as he trilled merrily. 

Soon he remembered the spectacles that the 
old rat had given him. He put them on and 
peered down at the stream. Yes, sure enough 
there was the lovely water-queen. She glided 
upon the water and smiled to herself as if she 
truly enjoyed his song. 

Johan sang louder than ever. All day he 
whistled his tunes. Suddenly he noticed a 
white spray near the mill-fall. He put on his 
spectacles in a great hurry. He could hardly 
believe what he saw. A long procession of 
mist chariots was coming that way. Each little 
water-nymph riding in her chariot sat with her 
head bent forward, listening. Johan knew 
what they were listening for. He lifted his 
voice and sang with his whole heart. 

He sang all the next day and the day after. 
Whenever he looked through the spectacles he 
saw that the tiny water-nymphs were still there, 
dancing and frolicking to his music. Soon the 
mill-wheels spun around as thay had done in 
the days when Johan was a boy. The farmers 


A long procession of 
mist chariots was 


JOHAN AND THE WATER NYMPHS 


37 


who passed that way saw them working and 
heard Johan singing. They thought that any 
one with so much life and spirit must have a 
very fine mill. Once more they began to come 
in long lines with their seed to be made into 
meal. The mill became the best one in the 
countryside again. And Johan never forgot, 
no matter how busy he was, to sing for the 
small water-nymphs and their good queen. 


JERRY AND JAMES AND JOHN 

There was an old woman had three sons 
Jerry and James and John; 

Jerry was hung, James was drowned, 
John was lost, and never was found; 
And there was an end of her three sons, 
Jerry and James and John . 


JOHN THE BAPTIST 


FAMOUS Italian painter, Andrea del 



1 . A. Sarto, painted a portrait of a beautiful 
boy. The face in the painting shows an earnest 
strong young spirit, marked by tenderness and 
all that is fine and true. It is the face of John 
the Baptist, as Andrea del Sarto imagined it 
to be when he was a boy. 

This John was no ordinary mortal. His 
birth was prophesied by the angel Gabriel who 
said that he should be named John and that he 
would bring gladness to many. 

“It will be joy and gladness for you, 
Many will rejoice over his birth. . 

were the words that the angel said to the boy’s 
mother and father. 

John the Baptist was the great preacher who 
taught his world that Christ was to be born. 
For many years he lived like a hermit in the 


38 



He preached the 
coming of the 
Saviour 



JOHN THE BAPTIST 


39 


loneliness of barren lands, eating locusts and 
wild honey and wearing rough animal skins 
to protect him from the weather. But as soon 
as he knew that Christ was to be born, he left 
the desert and came to the villages and cities 
of the land where he preached the coming of 
the Saviour. He was a great and heroic figure 
and one of the greatest preachers the world has 
ever known. A strange death awaited him. 
At the command of a court dancer whose 
mother had been rebuked by John the Baptist, 
the great prophet was beheaded. But his name 
lived on through the ages until this very day 
when he is called a Saint. 


MY SON JOHN 

Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John, 
Went to bed with his stocking on; 

One shoe off, and one shoe on, 

Deedle, deedle, dumpling, my son John . 


LITTLE JOHN 


HE sun shone in the forest glades, and 



JL the gay outlaw Robin Hood said to his 
merrymen: ‘T faith, good comrades, I have 
heard tell of a fine fellow whom I should like 
to meet. He is called Little though his limbs 
be large. They say that he reaches full seven 
feet tall and that his name is John. Whoever 
hears his name is set a-quaking.” 

“Little John, the tall man—faith, master, 
have a care,” said Will Stutely anxiously, “he 
is said to be slow to anger but marvelously 
angry when he once begins.” 

“I must meet this fellow,” Robin Hood 
smiled, “perchance he would be a welcome 
newcomer in our band. Tarry here, good com¬ 
rades, but should you hear me blow upon my 
horn, come quickly for it means that all is not 
well with your master.” 


40 


LITTLE JOHN 


4 1 


“Aye, Aye,” they agreed, but they wished 
rather that he had taken them along instead of 
venturing on so foolhardy a deed by himself. 

Through the shadowy groves strode Robin 
Hood, and sometimes he sang a merry song: 


“In summer when the shawes be sheen 
And leaves be large and long 
It is full merry in fair forest 
To hear the small birds’ song!’ 


Thus very merrily he made his way along. 
And soon he came to a tinkling little brook 
crossed by the narrowest of bridges. Coming 
toward him from the opposite side of the stream, 
Robin saw a man of great height that he knew 
must be the famous Little John. 

“How now, stranger, I must cross first, bide 
your time!” Robin Hood shouted. 

“Not as long as I have a staff to cross with 
me,” retorted the tall man. 

With that Robin drew an arrow from his 
quiver and said in anger: “A bow and an 
arrow is ever more noble than a staff. Give 
me the right of way, my fellow.” 


They followed 
blow on blow 





42 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


“A cowardly threat,” said the stranger in 
scorn, “for should you shoot with your arrow 
first, I could never lift a hand to my staff. If 
you carried a staff as well, fair fighters we 
would be.” 

Robin Hood threw down his bow and 
jumped lightly from the bridge into a thicket 
of trees. There he chose a staff of good ground- 
oak. Returning in a trice, he said: 

“Lo, a staff I have, then, to meet with your 
own. Let us fight upon this very bridge that 
has caused our quarrel. Whoever falls in the 
brook will admit himself the lesser man and 
he who can keep to the bridge is the winner.” 

“A fight that suits me with all my heart,” 
said Little John. 

They fell to without more dispute. At first 
Robin hit Little John so that the tall man’s 
bones seemed to ring, but the outlaw chief was 
soon paid back by a smart blow in return. 

They followed blow upon blow as if they 
were threshing corn. Fury and pain drove 
them on until they could scarcely see what they 
were doing. Suddenly Little John gave a 


LITTLE JOHN 


43 


tremendous blow. He lost his balance but 
regained it quickly. When he had righted 
himself and made ready to plunge once more 
at his opponent, he saw that the bridge was 
empty before him. 

“I prithee, good fellow, where are you?” he 
cried in surprise. 

There was a great splashing and spluttering 
beneath the bridge and at last Little John heard 
a voice say sadly: “P faith I am in the stream 
and floating along with the tide.” 

Then Robin Hood who could never be sad 
for long, jumped up to the bridge again and 
laughed merrily. “You are a brave soul, Little 
John, and I do not wish to battle against you 
again. I would much rather battle with you 
on my side.” 

Little John looked mystified. Robin Hood 
had put a bugle to his lips and blown three 
blasts loudly. Scarcely had the echo died, when 
many stout bowmen in lincoln green doublet 
and hose came rushing through the glades. 

“What is the matter, master,” cried Will 
Stutely in an anxious tone of voice. 


"/ am in the 
stream’ 






44 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


“Nothing, good Will. I have fought a fight 
with the famous Little John and been well 
drubbed by him.” 

“He shall not go scot-free,” cried the outlaws, 
lifting their bows. 

“Ah, but he shall if he will be as free as 
an outlaw,” smiled Robin Hood. “Come, 
stranger, will you join our band?” 

And Little John who had often dreamed 
of doing that very thing, answered gladly that 
he would. The whole world knows that he 
became the closest comrade of the outlaw, 
Robin Hood. 


RIDE AWAY 

Ride away 
Ride away 
Johnny shall ride 

And he shall have pussy-cat tied to one side; 
And he shall have little dog tied to the other; 
And Johnny shall ride to see his grandmother . 


HANS IN LUCK 


The Tale of a German John 

A FTER seven long years of service, Hans 
said to his Master: “Master, my day 
with you is done. Will you give me my wages 
that I may go home and see my mother?” 

“You have been faithful and good in serving 
me,” his Master answered, “and I will pay 
you well.” 

He took forth a piece of silver as big around 
as the round head of Hans. Hans received it 
joyfully, and putting it in his pocket-hand- 
kerchief, threw the pack on his back as if it 
were a bag of old clothes. Then bidding his 
Master farewell, the faithful servant left the 
house where he had served so long and turned 
toward his own home. 

As he walked lazily along the road, he saw 
a man come riding down the highway. 

“Hm,” thought Hans, “how nice he looks.” 


45 


4 6 


MY NAME IS JOHN 




And then he went on speaking his thoughts 
aloud: “What a fine thing it is to ride horse¬ 
back. Imagine sitting on a horse’s back as 
calmly as if you were on a chair. And how 
easy it is on the soles of the shoes, to be sure.” 

The horseman heard his words. “Well, 
Hans, why don’t you ride a horse, then, too?” 

“I have this great load to carry,” said Hans, 
“to be sure it is silver but it is so heavy I can 
scarcely hold it up. A horse would break 
beneath it. I’ faith my shoulder nearly breaks 
now from the great strain.” 

“What do you say to changing?” said the 
horseman. “You give me the silver and I will 
give you the horse.” 

“With all my heart,” said Hans: “and glad 
to get rid of it, I am. But I warn you, it is heavy 
to carry. You had better think twice before 
taking it.” 

“I do not mind,” said the horseman, smiling. 
“Now listen to me. Here is the bridle. When 
you want to go very fast, you must smack your 
lips loudly and cry ‘Jip! ’ ” 

Hans was pleased. He sat on the horse and 


Before he \new it he 
was thrown off 


HANS IN LUCK 


47 


rode merrily along the highway. After awhile 
he thought he would like to go fast, so he 
smacked his lips as the horseman had told him 
to and said “Jip!” The horse went galloping 
off so suddenly that before Hans knew what 
had happened, he was thrown off and lay in 
a ditch by the roadside. His horse would soon 
have been out of sight if a shepherd who was 
coming by with a cow had not stopped the 
galloping runaway. 

Hans got to his feet and felt to see if there 
were any broken bones: “Ah me,” he said, 
“this riding is no joke when a man has a beast 
that stumbles and flings him off. Well off I am 
and off for good. I like your cow a great deal 
better than I do my horse. You can walk be- 
side a cow and not have the creature walk be¬ 
neath you. She gives milk, butter and cheese 
every day. What would I not give to have a 
cow like yours! ” 

“Well,” said the shepherd, “if you like her 
so well, I will exchange her for your horse.” 

“Done! ” said Hans merrily. And the shep¬ 
herd jumped upon the horse and rode away. 


The beast gave him a 
kjc\ on the head 





4 8 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


Hans drove off with his cow and was very 
pleased with his new bargain. 

On and on they went. The road was very 
hot and dusty. Hans got thirstier and thirstier. 
“Stupid that I am,” he said laughing, “I will 
milk my cow and quench my thirst.” So he 
tied her to the stump of a tree and held his 
leather cap to milk into. There was not a drop 
to be had! He tried again, but matters became 
even worse. The beast gave him a kick on the 
head that knocked him down senseless. 

After awhile a butcher came by driving a 
pig in a wheelbarrow. 

“What is the matter?” the butcher said as 
he helped Hans up from the ground. 

Hans sighed and told him all about it. 

“If I only had a pig now, how much happier 
I would be,” he said finally. 

“Well,” said the butcher, “I will exchange 
my pig for your cow if you like.” 

“Heaven bless you for your good will,” said 
Hans. He gave the butcher the cow and taking 
the pig by a string tied to its leg, started along 
the highway. 







HANS IN LUCK 


49 


On and on he trotted. All seemed to be 
well until he met a man with a fine white goose 
under his arm. Hans stopped to talk and soon 
told the stranger the good luck he had that day. 

“Yes, yes,” said the stranger, “it sounds very 
well, but my good friend, supposing your pig 
gets you into a scrape as well. The village 
yonder has a haughty squire living in it. Not 
long ago he had a pig stolen from his sty. Sup¬ 
posing that this is the squire’s pig. He’ll throw 
you into the pond if he catches you.” 

“Oh dear—what shall I do?” said Hans, 
very frightened indeed. “Good man, help me 
out. Take my pig and give me your goose 
in exchange.” 

“Very well,” said the stranger. 

Then Hans went his way, very happy indeed. 
He thought that he had the best of the bar¬ 
gain after all. He would have a roast, goose- 
grease to last for six months and beautiful white 
feathers to line his pillow. Thinking these 
very pleasant thoughts, he reached the village. 
There was a scissor-grinder working at his 
wheel and singing a song: 


5° 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


“O’er hill and o’er dale so happy 1 roam, 
Wor\ light and live well, all the world 
is my home; 

Who so blythe, so merry as l?” 

“Your work must be pleasant,” said Hans, 
“or you would not sing so gay a song.” 

“My work is a gold mine of riches,” said 
the grinder, “but where did you get that beau¬ 
tiful goose?” 

“I exchanged a cow for it.” 

“And where did you get the cow?” said the 
grinder as he turned the wheel. 

“Oh, I exchanged a horse for it,” said Hans. 

“And the horse?” 

“I gave a piece of silver as big as my head 
for that.” 

“And how did you happen to have so much 
silver for your own?” 

“I worked seven long years for it,” said Hans. 

“What good is a goose,” said the grinder. 
“How much better to own a grindstone as I do. 
Then you can make money all day long the 
rest of your life.” 


HANS IN LUCK 


5i 


“What wouldn’t I give for one like yours,” 
said Hans sadly. 

“I would not ask for more than that old goose 
to tell you how to get a grindstone easily,” said 
the grinder. 

“Take it—take it gladly,” said Hans, “only 
tell me quickly where I can find a grindstone.” 

The grinder walked along the road and 
found a common stone lying in the ditch. 
“Here is a fine stone. Manage it well and you 
can sharpen an old nail so that it will cut as 
well as a knife.” 

Hans took the stone and went off joyously. 
“My, but I must have a lucky star twinkling 
above me,” he said. 

On and on he went. He grew tired and 
hungry. The stone was heavy. He made his 
way to a little pond to drink its cool water. 
But as he stooped down to drink he forgot the 
stone that he had put down carefully beside 
him. He pushed against it and it fell into the 
pond with a great splash. He looked at the 
pool for a moment and then sprang up joy¬ 
ously. “How happy I am,” he said, “with no 


He looked at the 
pool a moment 






52 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


more of that ugly heavy old stone to bother 
me. No one has ever been so lucky as I am.” 
So with a light heart, free of all trouble, and 
with empty hands, foolish Hans reached his 
mother’s house. 

SING! SONG! 

Sing song! Merry go round, 

Here we go up to the moon, Oh! 

Little Johnnie a penny has found, 

And so we'll sing a tune, Oh! 

What shall I buy? 

Johnny did cry, 

With the penny I've found 
So bright and round? 

What shall I buy? 

A \ite that will fly 
Up to the moon, all through the s\y! 

But if, when it gets there, 

It should stay in the air, 

Or the man in the moon 
Should open the door, 

And ta\e it in with his long, long paw, 
We should sing to another tune, Oh! 


FAMOUS JOHNS IN AMERICA 


J OHN CABOT was the first man to touch 
the mainland of North America. He 
reached the coast of Labrador in 1497. 

Captain John Smith founded the first Eng¬ 
lish colony in America. It was Jamestown 
Colony, and dates from about 1607. John 
Smith was a soldier and adventurer. He 
guided the new colony, saw that it was properly 
fortified, made trips of exploration to discover 
new streams, new forests, and food for the 
settlers. The most famous story told about him 
is how Pocahontas, the daughter of the great 
Indian chief Powhatan, saved him from death 
at the hands of her people. In a famous diary 
that this early settler left, he tells of the trials 
and hardships of the first years of our country. 
John Alden was one of the Pilgrims who 


S3 



Pocahontas saved him 
from death 





54 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


came over in the Mayflower and formed the 
brave little colony at Plymouth in 1620. 

John Winthrop was the first governor of the 
Massachusetts Bay Colony at Boston in 1630. 
The Puritans who made this settlement re¬ 
elected him governor twelve times. 

Three presidents of the United States have 
been named John. One was the second presi¬ 
dent of the United States and was descended 
from John Alden, the Pilgrim. This was John 
Adams, born at Quincy, Massachusetts, on 
October 30, 1735. Besides being president of 
his country, he was a member of the committee 
that framed the Declaration of Independence 
and he was one of the men who signed it. He 
was president of his country from 1797-1801. 

John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, 
was the sixth president of the United States. 
He served his country from 1825-1829. Once 
when John Quincy Adams was a little boy 
he stood on a hilltop with his mother and 
watched the battle of Bunker Hill. Perhaps 
this was the beginning of his patriotism. He 
was a brave and fearless youth, and when he 


FAMOUS JOHNS IN AMERICA 


55 


was only nine years old he was his mother’s 
post boy, riding eleven miles to Boston to get 
news for her. 

John Tyler, the other John who served as 
the first man of his country, was president from 
1841-1845. 

John Marshall, born in Virginia on Septem¬ 
ber 24, 1755, was a frontier lad and minute man 
who later became Chief Justice of the Supreme 
Court of the United States and explained 
the meaning of the Constitution to the people 
after it was written. 

John Hancock, one of the signers of the 
Declaration of Independence, signed with such 
a flourish that ever since men have called a 
signature “John Hancock” in fun. 

There are two famous authors in America 
named John. John Greenleaf Whittier, born 
at Haverhill, Massachusetts in 1807, one - 
Probably the first poem of his that you will 
read is “Snowbound,” which is a picture of a 
typical New England winter that he must have 
seen many times himself. 

John Burroughs, a poet and author and 



5 6 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


naturalist, was born at Roxbury, New York, 
on April 3, 1837. He has written many true 
and vivid accounts of the wonders of Nature. 

Two famous actors in America named John 
are John Drew and John Barrymore. 

Famous rich men in America named John 
are: Colonel John Jacob Astor, born at Fern- 
cliff, Rhinbeck-on-the-Hudson, July 13, 1864, 
and John Pierpont Morgan, the great banker 
who was born at Hartford, Connecticut, on 
April 13, 1837. 

John D. Rockefeller, the Oil King, was born 
at Richford, New York, on July 8, 1839. 

John Wanamaker, often called the Merchant 
Prince, and founder of the two great depart¬ 
ment stores in Philadelphia and New York 
called by his name, was born at Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, July 11, 1837. 

Three famous Johns of our own time are 
John A. Roebling who built Brooklyn Bridge, 
John L. Sullivan, one of the most famous 
world’s pugilist champions, and John Mc- 
Graw, the Manager of the New York National 
League Baseball Team. 



FAMOUS JOHNS IN AMERICA 


57 


There are many other Johns, of course, that 
we have not mentioned. But we cannot close 
the list of the most famous Johns in America 
without adding one more to it. John J. 
Pershing, the Commander-in-Chief of the 
American Army in the World War, is one of 
the greatest Johns of all. Born in the small 
town of Laclede, Missouri, on September 30, 
i860, this John studied hard because curiously 
he was interested in being a teacher. He did 
teach for awhile before he enrolled at West 
Point. But once he had joined the ranks of 
the marching men, he never left them for the 
schoolroom again. He was a born soldier. He 
reached the highest ranks in the battalions of 
all his classes and he was chosen President of 
his class by his fellow students, proving his 
popularity with the boys as well as with the 
instructors. 

When he left West Point, he entered a series 
of military endeavors and his most brilliant 
success was in his campaigns in the Philippines. 
When President Wilson chose him to lead the 
troops of our country in the World War, all 


5® 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


who knew Pershing agreed that he was a very 
fine choice. 

Arriving in France, the keen-faced general 
was met by kindly JofTre, the French general. 
Men watched them and heard Joffre’s words 
of welcome and wondered what Pershing 
would say to France in the name of the Ameri¬ 
cans. The General marched to the tomb of 
Lafayette and placed a wreath there. Then 
he turned and made the speech the onlookers 
had waited for so eagerly. When his words 
came, men were startled by their simplicity: 
“Lafayette, we are here,” Pershing said. 

It was a fine message, spoken in memory of 
the brave Frenchman named Lafayette who 
long before had gone to the aid of struggling 
young America. Pershing had told the French 
in four words that the American troops were 
ready now to stand by France in her hour of 
need as she had once stood by America. 


JOHN PAUL JONES 


M ANY years ago a ship set sail for Virginia 
from British shores. On board was a 
young apprentice about twelve years old, 
glorying in his first adventure at sea. All 
through the days of his childhood he had 
sailed his toy boats in the bays that lined the 
shores of Scotland, and so when the time came 
for him to board a real ship, his joy was bound¬ 
less. It was a trading ship that carried cargo 
to Virginia. 

The little Scotch boy was named John Paul. 
When he reached America he stayed for a 
visit. During his youth and manhood, he 
often sailed the sea on trading vessels, but he 
always returned to the new country instead of 
to his own home in Scotland. When he grew 
up he took the name of Jones and John Paul 
Jones he became to stay. 

It was not until the Revolutionary War in 


59 




6o 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


1775 that John Paul Jones joined the navy. 
He began his career at sea as a lieutenant 
on the ship “Alfred.” Sailing the high seas 
in this little ship, he was the first man to fly 
the flag of the United States on the waters. 
The flag that topped the mast of the “Alfred” 
was the first real American flag. It was called 
the “Grand Union,” and it bore the English 
crosses of St. Andrew and St. George combined 
to form the “Union” in the upper left hand 
corner. It had thirteen alternate red and white 
stripes to represent the thirteen original col¬ 
onies of the United States. 

Two years later, Congress resolved that the 
flag of the United States should be red, white 
and blue, with thirteen stripes and thirteen 
stars to represent the original thirteen colonies. 

Almost as soon as the new flag was accepted, 
John Paul Jones set forth on a ship that carried 
its colors. The ship was the “Ranger” and 
it sailed to a French harbor where John Paul 
Jones saw the stars and stripes receive the first 
salute that was ever given to the American flag 
by a foreign nation. 



John Paul Jones was \nown as the greatest seaman of 
his time and fought many sea battles 


61 


















62 


MY NAME IS JOHN 


From this time on John Paul Jones fought 
notable sea battles and was known as the 
greatest seaman of his time. He was far more 
than a rough adventurer who loved the sea. 
He loved his newly adopted country as well. 
He was devoted to the navy he commanded 
and he must have felt that the flag was dearer 
to him than to any other man for he had 
hoisted it on a ship for the first time and he 
had seen it saluted by a foreign nation for the 
first time. “I have ever looked out for the 
honour of the American flag/’ he said, and 
the generations of Americans who have fol¬ 
lowed after John Paul Jones have never for¬ 
gotten the part he played in the days when 
the flag was new. 


JOHN PAUL JONES 


63 


JOHNNY 

Johnny shall have a new bonnet, 
And Johnny shall go to the fair, 
And Johnny shall have a blue ribbon 
To tie up his bonny brown hair. 

And why may not 1 love Johnny? 
And why may not Johnny love me? 
And may not 1 love Johnny 
As well as another body? 

And here s a leg for a stocking, 

And here's a foot for a shoe, 

And he has a kiss for his daddy, 
And two for his mammy, I trow. 

And why may not I love Johnny? 
And why may not Johnny love me? 
And why may not l love Johnny 
As well as another body? 





\ 















